The Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr., has disclosed that President George Manneh Weah is supportive of the proposed schedule date for the Mano River Union (MRU) Summit, which is expected to be hosted in Monrovia from May 20—30, 2021.
According to a Foreign Ministry release, Minister Kemayah made the disclosure on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 when the Secretary General of the Mano River Union (MRU), Ambassador Medina Wesseh, paid him a courtesy call to discuss issues relating to the Mano River Basin.
Foreign Minister Kemayah lauded Prof. Alpha Conde, President of the Republic of Guinea and current Chair of MRU, for accepting President George Manneh Weah’s request to host the MRU Summit in Liberia.
He indicated that, while in Côte d’Ivoire representing President Weah, he had a series of meetings with some diplomats and government officials from MRU states on several bilateral and multilateral issues.
“While it is true that you are a Liberian, on the Secretariat, I would like to on behalf of the Ministry welcome you and members of your team from the MRU Secretariat to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“We are pleased with the level of work you are doing and the level of engagement with the MRU Secretariat. We can see the level of engagement and the enthusiasm you have brought to the MRU Secretariat,” Minister Kemayah told Wesseh.
He also indicated that Liberia has already started preparation for the summit, noting that the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Samuel Tweah, and the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Nathaniel McGill, are fully involved with the preparatory work in order to make this historical event a success.
He used the occasion to inform the MRU Secretary General that Liberia will settle all of its obligations to the union. Minister Kemayah further disclosed that Liberia will do the necessary mobilization in terms of provision of logistics as host of the MRU Summit.
Speaking, Wesseh thanked the Minister of Foreign Affairs and commended him and his government for their instrumentality and innovation, which led the MRU leaders to reach a decision to hold the summit in Liberia.
She called on both ministries of Finance and Development Planning and Foreign Affairs to coordinate activities and collaborate on issues, as part of preparation for the upcoming MRU Summit.
Wesseh stated that, as the summit gets underway, she looks forward to seeing Liberia presenting a position that borders on the country’s foreign policy objectives, such as peaceful coexistence and good neighborliness.
She noted that, as the Secretary General of the Union she wants to see the reemergence of Liberia’s leadership of the MRU, stating that she would like to see Liberia showcase its hospitality during the upcoming MRU Summit in Monrovia.
During the meeting with the Minister Kemayah, Wesseh presented a dossier, which contained proposed dates and venue for the upcoming meeting and the lodging of the participants, considering the distance of the venue and current traffic for review by the Minister.